How/to/be/a graphic/designer,/without/losing/your/soul

I have never before wanted to sit down and devour an entire school text book until this cyan printed wonder book was given as a required-read. 

In the introduction, Adrian Shaughnessy says that this book will not tell us what sort of designers we should be, but that we will be making our own individual decisions about what matters, what looks good, what is success. But he does make notable traits that a designer should have in order to be successful. 

Here are a few of my favorites from chapter 1 : 

• Designers take interest in everything that goes on around them, having curiosity about areas other than design: politics, entertainment, technology, art, ten-pin bowling and wrestling. 

• Designers are observers, and the best humor comes from microscopic observation.

• Designers constantly scan, scrutinize and absorb what goes on around them.

• Designers demonstrate understanding, openness and receptivity.

• Designers posses the ability to talk about their work, especially with clients and non-designers, in a coherent, convincing and objective way. The way designers present ideas is as important as the ideas themselves.

• Designers can find patterns of words that communicate meaning and value to clients.

• Designers can remove the personal from the equation...less you means more you. 

• Designers can communicate to clients/other designers/partners/viewers in a way that they don't feel cowed, threatened or discouraged by your views. 

I loved the section on integrity. Ever since my early realization of wanting to be a graphic designer, but that advertising in particular has been and can be destructive

 to individuals and societies as a whole, I have found myself setting up future scenarios where I have been faced with opportunities to change the world for the better or for the worse.  Besides being able to support a reasonably comfortable lifestyle for myself/myself and a dog/myself and a family, I don't care to make masses of money. I would be content with my life  knowing that I stuck to my personal philosophy rather than abandoning it at the first sign of trouble.

 At the end of my career, I would know that I have succeeded if I would be known for having principles that I stuck to in order to better the world we live in.